El Cangrejo Crab, Seafood and Steak Bistro is a fairly new albeit quite hidden restaurant in the South Triangle area. It’s actually so hidden you have to venture deep into Jardin de Zenaida complex where it is located. You’ll recognize the complex once you see the giant Livestock restaurant (with their pig logo) in front. Parking spaces are aplenty, so no worries there.

The place is quiet and we were told many stars of GMA-7 and ABS-CBN come over for a serene meal away from the peering eyes of their fans.

A plate of scrumptious looking Baked Scallops (P395) started off our little adventure under the sea with some meaty side trips. Scallops on the shell topped with garlic, a smidgen of parsley and doused in melted butter. Fork out the scallop and slurp up the flavorful mix of butter, garlic and umami flavor.

I always love things boneless since they are so much easier to eat especially for lazy people like me. Boneless Buffalo Wings (P235), tangy with a bit of spice. This one reminded me of a similar one from Bugsy’s.

House Baked Bread (P75). A foccacia bread that is crisp outside but airy and chewy inside. This was quite good already even without the balsamic dip on the side.

Put out a plate of clams, cooked any which way and I guarantee you I will attack that. The Clam Steamers (P150) was so sweet and succulent. I felt throwing away the juice a waste so I found a genius solution by dipping the foccacia into it for a flavor explosion. The juice is soaked up and makes the bread even better. You can also just spoon it and drink it like soup, that’s how good it is.

The next plate to come out looked like an angelfish or something with the alternating black strips. It was actually Crab meat Ravioli in Aligue Sauce (P325). The black strips are made from squid ink and makes this rich and beautiful dish that I imagined took a bit of work to create especially the ravioli

Steamed Mud Crabs tossed in Beurre Noisette (P595). Visually eye catching and equally fragrant. The burnt butter sauce seeps into every pore of the crab making the eating enjoyable and messy. They do give you some aprons to protect your clothes. The only thing I did not like was the option to have bigger sized crabs, the size is the same for all orders.

For those who want to skip eating with their hands, the classic Fish and Chips (P370) should keep them happy.

Grilled Ulangin Beurre Noisette (P595). Ulang are big head freshwater prawns that are like prawns that have been super sized. The meat tastes similar to prawns but denser and goes well with the burnt butter sauce, similar to the ones used in the crab dish.

Finish off the meal with some Blueberry Chocolate Cheesecake or Apple Pie ala Mode (P150).

We did not sample any of their steaks but memories of the burnt butter sauce lingers in my taste buds. I just wish they could offer sizes for their crabs in the seafood, I actually prefer the king sized crabs.

Looking for a quiet place to have some seafood then you might want to try out El Cangrejo Crab, Seafood and Steak Bistro.